1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of a system and method for physiological assessment in mammals relate generally to the field of physiological assessment of mammals and use of such assessments in selection processes such as breeding, monitoring effective training, and intervention, and in particular, apparatus and methods of assessing temperament.
2. Statement of the Problem
Horses are known to be complex animals capable of forming relationships with humans. Horses have been bred by humans for thousands of years. The ability to accurately evaluate the characteristics of horses has become of great importance. Many people, such as horse trainers, have spent their lives in the evaluation horses. A principal goal of such evaluation has been the selection of particular animals for racing, herding, and the general sociability with other horses and humans. Over the centuries, temperament has evolved as an important characteristic of horses.
As science has advanced, the temperament of horses has been the subject of much physiological study, research. and analysis. See Clement and Barrey 1995a; Physick-Sheard, Marlin et al. 2000; Momozawa, Ono et al. 2003; Visser, Van Reenen et al. 2003; Eager, Norman et al. 2004; Rietmann, Stuart et al. 2004; Momozawa, Kusunose et al. 2005; Minero, Zucca et al. 2006; and von Borell, Langbein et al. 2007. However, up to now, the evaluation of horse temperament, both by experts such as trainers and by scientific study, has been, at best, qualitative with non-repeatable results. Evaluation of characteristics of horses that is traditionally referred to as temperament remains at best an art, and some believe is still at the level of guessing and hunches. It would be highly useful if an objective measure of horse temperament were available.